On Jan. 5 all Scouts from Troop 7 Buttonwoods attended Narragansett Council’s Merit Badge College. Preparations began in October with notifying the Scouts that the Merit Badge College was coming up, having the Scouts think about what merit badges they would like to work on, and registering the Scouts for their choices.

Merit badge sessions like Emergency Preparedness and Wood Working were scheduled for the entire day while other merit badges like Disability Awareness, Chemistry, and Space Exploration were half-day sessions. In December, prerequisites that had to be completed prior to attendance to the College were distributed to the Scouts.

When it was time for the College, all 23 Scouts arrived at Rhode Island College by 7:30 a.m. With their merit badge pamphlets, workbooks and prerequisite materials, they checked in with Patty Gomm, the Troop’s Merit Badge College coordinator. After the Opening Ceremony, over 1,000 Scouts disbursed throughout the campus to work on their merit badges. With a lunch break in the middle of the all-day classes or between the half-day classes, the Scouts were busy all day. When it was over at 4:30 p.m., the Troop had earned 31 merit badges and had 13 partially completed merit badges. Patty Gomm said, “This was a very successful Merit Badge College for the Troop with the Scouts earning a variety of badges they could not normally earn.”

If your son would like to join Scouting, he only needs to be 11 years old or have completed the 5th grade. Troop 7 Buttonwoods is always accepting new Scouts. For further information, visit the Troop website at www.troop7buttonwoods.com, or contact Scoutmaster Richard Nathan at 738-9153.